Gov’t orders evacuations, deploys troops for Marce

BRACED FOR IMPACT A fisherman tightens the lashings on his boat as it is docked in Barangay Sipac Almacen, Navotas City, on Tuesday. The country is bracing for Typhoon Marce, which is forecast to make land fall on Thursday in northern Luzon. —Lyn Rillon

MANILA, Philippines — Authorities reported on Tuesday that they had ordered evacuations, stockpiled food, and placed government troops on standby in preparation for Typhoon Marce (international name: Yinxing), which was expected to make landfall in the Babuyan Islands or the northern portion of Cagayan by Thursday.

“Municipal mayors and disaster risk reduction officers are required by the Department of the Interior and Local Government, number one, to implement forced evacuation in areas that cannot be reached by our forces,” said Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., who is also chair of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), at a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

According to Teodoro, the government has “prepositioned as much as we can needed supplies and personnel,” adding that “we are trying to anticipate what communities need beforehand.”

In the same briefing, Armed Forces chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said the military’s assets, including its personnel, had been sent to areas that may be affected by Marce.

“We have prepared and prepositioned our search, rescue, and retrieval teams,” Brawner said, adding that 305 military teams were deployed to northern Luzon, which is expected to be hit by the typhoon.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said in its 5 p.m. Tuesday advisory that Marce was expected to intensify and may reach peak intensity before making landfall over Babuyan Islands or Cagayan by Thursday.

Intensive rainfall

Intense to torrential rainfall was expected over Cagayan, while heavy to intense rainfall was forecast over Apayao, Ilocos Norte and Batanes on the same day.

The center of the storm was located 480 kilometers east of Echague, Isabela, according to Pagasa, with maximum sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour (km/h) near the center and gustiness of up to 160 km/h.

Marce was moving northwestward at 25 km/h and could leave the Philippine area of responsibility on Friday.

It is the third storm in less than a month to hit the country after Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name: Trami) and Supertyphoon Leon (international name: Kong-rey), which left 151 dead and 21 others still missing.

According to the NDRRMC, a total of 8.847 million people or 2.249 families, were affected, with the Bicol region having the most number of affected individuals at 3.125 million, followed by Calabarzon (Calamba, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) with 1.230 million and Central Luzon, 1.092 million.

Agricultural damage

The Department of Agriculture (DA) also reported that as of Monday, Kristine had caused P6.20 billion worth of agricultural damage and destroyed the livelihood of 143,065 farmers and fishers in 12 regions.

It ruined 283,528 metric tons of farm produce in 117,509 hectares in Cordillera, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Soccsksargen and Caraga.

Suffering the worst damage, the DA said, were rice crops valued at P4.46 billion, followed by high-value crops and fisheries at P865.09 million and P665.01 million, respectively.

President Marcos, meanwhile, thanked Malaysia for sending one of its transport helicopters to help deliver relief aid to flooded areas.

“The air support they provided allowed us to reach areas that are still struggling with severe flooding, bringing relief to families who otherwise couldn’t be reached,” he said.

The Presidential Communications Office and AFP said the Royal Malaysian Air Force deployed its Eurocopter EC-725, a long-range tactical transport helicopter, which arrived at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on Oct. 26.

On Oct. 27, Singapore also sent a Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft from the Royal Singapore Air Force, while Brunei’s Royal Brunei Air Force deployed an Airbus C-295 aircraft to Villamor Air Base to help in relief operations. —with reports from Jordeene B. Lagare, and Julie M. Aurelio